Telephone line connector



March 26, 1968 c. A; COLE 3,375,482

TELEPHONE LINE CONNEC'TOR Filed March 31, 1966 INVENTOR Charles A. Cale ATTORNEY ,6

United States Patent This invention relates to connectors and more particularly to a device by means of which an uninsulated line under tension may be easily and securely attached to a lead line.

While the invention is particularly applicable for telephone lines often found in rural areas which are strung on poles and uninsulated, the invention is useful in other fields of endeavor.

Many overhead telephone lines are of relatively heavy wire, of a gauge comparable to that of a wire coat hanger. Such wires are mounted on poles spaced substantial distances apart and are under heavy tension in order that the line will not sag unduly between poles. At the poles it is the practice to attach a lead line from the mainline to a junction box on the pole from which wires may extend to a subscribers telelphone. Heretofore, such lead lines from the main line to the junction boxes have been attached by various means such as a bolt with a recess in the neck adjacent to the head, or by means of a split sleeve which is placed over the main line and to the other end of which the lead is attached. Problems have been encountered with these connecting devices of the prior art, including difficulty of attachment and the failure of the parts to remain connected over a period of time and under adverse weather conditions.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel connector by means of which the main line of a telephone line under tension may be easily and quickly connected to a lead line and which is held securely by the ever present tension in the line, thereby avoiding accidental or unintended disconnection.

These and other objects will become apparent from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which FIG. 1 is a perspective of a connector in accordance with the present invention illustrating the manner of use;

FIGS. 2 and 3, sections on the lines 2-2 and 33, respectively, of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4, a perspective of the tool forming a part of the present invention by means of which the connector is mounted on a main line;

FIG. 5, a perspective to a reduced scale illustrating the manner of connection of the line by means of the tool; and

FIG. 6, an illustration of the connector mounted on the line adjacent to a pole.

Briefly stated, the present invention includes a connector having substantially hook shaped end portions and an offset central portion, the central portion having a movable member in order that a line may be positioned to pass through the hook shaped end portions and over the movable member and secure a lead between the latter and the central portion; and a tool for applying sufiicient force on the line and in the appropriate direction to mount it on the connector, the tool including pivotally mounted arms with a hook on the end of one jaw for engaging the wire and a yoke on the other jaw for engaging the connector member.

With further reference to the drawing, the invention includes a block having a relatively flat elongated base 11 from which end portions 12 and 13 and a central portion 14 extend. The end portions 12, 13 have generally hook shaped recesses with bights 15, 16. The recesses are substantially parallel and substantially in alignment so that their bights lie generally along a common axis and face in the same direction. The topsurface 1 8-of the base is spaced'from the facing surface 19 of the end portions a distance substantially greater than the diameter of the line 20 to provide adequate room to position the line under tension therebetween. The rear portion of the time may have built up portions 21, 22 between the rear walls 23 of the end portions and the central portion in order to strengthen the end portions 12, 13. In orderto facilitate positioning of the line 20 into the bight- 16, at least one end portion of the base preferably has a bevel 56.

The central portion 14 has an upwardly facing recess or yoke with spaced walls 25, between which a clamping member 26 is received. The clamping member is pivotally mounted between the walls bypin 28 adjacent to one of the ends, preferably adjacent to end portion 13. The lower surface of the clamping member preferably is roughened or knurled as. indicated at 29, and surface 30 of the block which it faces may likewise be roughened or knurled. The upper surface of the clamping member has a recess 31 which faces generally in the direction opposite to that of the bights 15, 16. The upper portion of the clamping member 26 may be straight as shown in the drawing, or curved if desired. In order to facilitate lifting the clamping member 26, its upper portion which is remote from the pivot pin 26 may have an outwardly projecting lip 27.

' Inasmuch as the telephone line 20 is relatively stiff wire and under substantial tension, it is necessary to apply considerable force in order to, engage it with the bights and the recess 26 as indicated in the drawing. This can be easily accomplished by the tool indicated in FIGS. 4 and 5. The tool has a pair of arms 40, 41 connected by pivot pin 42, providing handles and a pair of jaws. One of the jaws 43 has a hook 44 at its end adapted to engage the line 20. The other jaw has a yoke 45 at its end mounted on a base 46 with a strut 47 attached to the jaw 43': and by suitable fastening means 48. The yoke is mounted so that it may swivel about its axis. The arms of the" yoke are spaced to receive closely the base of the block adjacent to an end portion 13 and each arm has a pivot hole 50 through which a pin 51 which is connected to a flexible line or chain 52 to the fastening means 48 extends through a pivot hole 53 in the base of the block. In operation, the uninsulated end 54 of a lead-in wire 55 is placed between the faces 29 and 30 of the clamping member 26 and the base 11. The connector is then placed on the line with the latter at an angle thereto and partially engaging the bight 15 of the end portion 12 and partially engaging the recess 31 of the clamping member. (Prior thereto, the tool has been mounted on the base as indicated in FIG. 5.) Then the hook 44 of the tool is applied to the portion of the line 20 which extends above the connector in order to draw it down into a position in which it may be forced into the bight 16 of the end member 13. The tool may then be removed if desired.

The lead-in wire 55 is connected to a conventional junction box 58 on a pole 59 having an insulated support 60 for the conductor line 20.

The combination of the connector itself and the tool provides a relatively simple means by which an overhead line may be securely and permanently attached to a lead-in wire.

It will be obvious to one skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spiritand scope thereof, and, therefore, the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawing and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A telephone line clamp comprising a body memher, said body member having central and end portions, said end portions each forming a. generally hook shaped recess, said recesses being substantially parallel and 'substantially in alignment with each other, whereby their bights lie generally along a common axis and face in the same direction, a clamping member mounted on said central portion and having a recess which faces generally in the direction opposite to that of said bights, said clamping member recess being positioned outwardly of said body member with respect to said bights, whereby a conductor line which passes through said bights may have its intermediate portion offset for reception in the recess of the clamping member, and whereby tension in the conductor line which is so positioned causes the intermediate portion of the conductor line to transmit force against said clamping member, said clamping member being mounted for movement outwardly of said body member to permit insertion of a conductor lead between said clamping member and said central portion, said conductor lead retained in such position when a conductor line under tension is engaged by said bights and I said clamping member recess.

2. The invention of claim 1, said body member being elongated and having a main base portion, said end and central portions extending a substantial distance along said base portion, said clamping member having a relatively fiat base and being pivotally mounted adjacent to an end thereof.

3. The invention of claim 1, said body member having a base, each said end portion having an extremity which is spaced above the base, said spacing being substantially greater than the diameter of the conductor line in order initially to permit placement of the body member on the line with the latter at an angle thereto and with the line substantially straight and engaging only partially one of said bights and said recess.

4. A combination line clamp and tool for attaching 3 a line thereto, said line clamp comprising a body memher, said body member having central and end portions,

said end portions each forming a generally hook shaped recess,..said recesses being substantially parallel and substantially in alignment with each other, whereby their bights lie generally along a common axis and face in the same direction, said central portion having a recess which faces generally inthe direction opposite to that of said bights, said recess being positioned outwardly of said body member with respect to said' bights, said tool comprising a pair of arms pivotally connected and providing a pair of handles anda pair of jaw members, one of said jaw members having a hook at its extremity and facing generally toward the other jaw member, a yoke at the extremity of said other jaw member, the spaced ends of said yoke facing generally toward said one jaw member, said yoke of a size and configuration to engage said body member.

5. The invention of claim 4, said yoke being swivelly mounted about an axis.

6. The invention of claim 4, and means to detachably connect the yoke to the body member.

7. The invention of claim 6, said detachable connecting means comprising flexible means extending from the yoke, a pin attached to the flexible means, and said body member and said yoke having apertures which may be aligned and of a size to closely receive said pin.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,400,200 12/1922 Wood et al. 339-l09 X 1,648,326 11/1927 Sawyer 339-255 X 2,283,061 5/1942. Hendley 339-243 2,834,950 5/1958 Houlton 339l09 3,017,205 1/1962 Williams 24-l29 X RICHARD E. MOORE, Primary Examiner. 

1. A TELEPHONE LINE CLAMP COMPRISING A BODY MEMBER, SAID BODY MEMBER HAVING CENTRAL AND END PORTIONS, SAID END PORTIONS EACH FORMING A GENERALLY HOOK SHAPED RECESS, SAID RECESSES BEING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL AND SUBSTANTIALLY IN ALIGNMENT WITH EACH OTHER, WHEREBY THEIR BIGHTS LIE GENERALLY ALONG A COMMON AXIS AND FACE IN THE SAME DIRECTION, A CLAMPING MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID CENTRAL PORTION AND HAVING A RECESS WHICH FACES, GENERALLY IN THE DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO THAT OF SAID BIGHTS, SAID CLAMPING MEMBER RECESS BEING POSITIONED OUPWARDLY OF SAID BODY MEMBER WITH RESPECT TO SAID BIGHTS, WHEREBY A CONDUCTOR LINE WHICH PASSES THROUGH SAID BIGHTS MAY HAVE ITS INTERMEDIATE PORTION OFFSET FOR RECEPTION IN THE 